My Warfstache Princess

Chapter 21

Blinding light hits my eyelids. I groan, flipping to my other side. I could the heat slowly seep into my gray comforter. I groan once more. I flip off the comforter and climb out of my queen sized bed.

Running a hand through my bed head, I start to walk down the brown wooden stairs. Levi slides across the orange wood floor, holding a brown covered spatula in her hands. Terrence slides right after her. She screeches when Terrence catches her and lifts her off her feet.

A hand hits my back. "Nice to see that you're awake! Early, too! You're usually awake at, like ten."

I turn to see Clem in a baggy black t-shirt with a little bit tucked into her purple girl boxer shorts. Her reddish blonde hair was pulled up for a sloppy side ponytail. I look down at my loose light blue tank top and black and green spotted pajama pants.

Clem slips by me but takes my hand. "Come on! We're making pancakes." She flicks a fingers and Terrence and Levi, who were kissing in the middle of the entry hall. "They're making a gross, too much love, cake."

"Hey, it's better than no love." Levi says, sticking her tongue out at us. She kisses Terrence on the mouth.

Clem pretends to throw up as she drags me to the kitchen. Crystal was drinking her strong smelling cup of coffee. She was fully dressed in a peach color sweater and black skinny jeans.

My dad was on pancake duty. He was smiling and making pancakes in a blue flannel shirt and baggy jeans with his with white socked toes sticking out from them.

I walk up to my dad. He holds out an arm to wrap around me. He kisses the side of my head and rubs my arm. "Hey, baby girl. Glad to see you awake."

"Yeah. I'm awake. What time is it?" I ask.

I turn around. The microwave clock told me that it was 7:26. Crystal sets down her white mug. "It's different seeing you awake this early. You usually wake up at ten."

"Mmm, so I've heard." I answer, stealing a pancake from the plate.

"Hey! No stealing pancakes!" My dad playfully scolded.

I slip under his swaying arm and ran around the island. I hear pans clanking against the stove. Levi and Terrence were coming back into the kitchen when I zoomed past them. I climb over the orange leather couch. I felt giant hands go around my waist. They lift me off of the couch. A squeal escapes my mouth between shoving a pancake in it.

"You little sneak!" My dad growls.

He puts me back on the orange wood floor. I slide against the floor. Straight into the kitchen. I sit down next to Crystal. Levi hands me a water bottle and my pills. Clem starts to make her plate of pancakes.

I grumply tip my head back and let two pills fall into my mouth. I take a sip of water until I feel them fall down my throat.

Levi wiggles two fingers at me. I open my mouth then lift my tongue. Levi is very picky about me for taking my pills and checks to see if actually take them.

My dad sets a three pancake tower, drenched in syrup and with chocolate chips sprinkled on top, in front of me.

We all move to the living to watch old cartoons on a bright Saturday. We laugh as Tom smashes against the wall as, once again, was fooled from Jerry. We boo when the road runner gets caught by the coyote then cheer when be escapes.

We were like a big family. Hanging out. Having fun. Eating pancakes.

Everyone leaves to wash up except me and my father. I lay across the couch, my feet resting on my dad's thighs. I run a hand across my forehead as I turn to look up at the ceiling. My body tenses as I can barely see my scars point towards my father. My brain tries to revert my well being back to the shy and depressed girl I was trying not to be anymore.

My dad slaps my shin, soft and gentle. It make my mind to move on to something else.

"Was it like this?" I ask towards the ceiling.

"Like what?" My dad asks back.

"Was it like this when I was younger?" I ask, looking at him. "When mom was here?"

His hand stops on my knee. I watched a smile grow. "It was like this. Your mom would make us breakfast. You would always run to the living room to make sure you didn't miss Tom & Jerry or Pokémon." I smile at that comment. "You did that every Saturday. For 15 years. When you turned sixteen, you pretended to grow out of it."

"Cause I did!" I yell in my defense. I kinda cringe afterwards. It felt weird to yell for fun.

My dad laughs. "Oh, but you didn't! I saw you turn your head to peek at the TV. Your mom always knew that you wouldn't miss a Saturday without your cartoons. She would always turn them on and would notice when you would peek at it." I could see his eyes glaze over.

I sat up. "What was the song that you and Mom always sang when it snowed?" I ask.

"What are you talking about?" My dad questions.

I groan, leaning back down. "When it first snows in winter or when it gets close to Christmas, you and Mom would slide around on the floor and sing to a song. What song?"

He looks up to the ceiling. "It's not an old song. Pretty recent. Your mom loved the singer." He rubs his small beard. "Owl city? Was that it? It was a Christmas song."

I grab Levi's phone from the glass coffee table. I start to search Owl City. So many songs showed up. I look for the more winter sounding ones.

I click on the one that said 'Peppermint Winter'. The song starts out with a nice and soft piano playing.

My dad closes his eyes and slowly nods his head. "I think this is it."

I push my hands against his arm. "Come on!"

I climb over the orange leather couch. He looks at me before climbing over. I grab some towels from the bathroom. I step on them, creating temporary socks. My dad grabs my scarred hands. He hands Levi's phone back to Levi, who was leaning against the kitchen entryway.

She brings the song back to the beginning. My newly dyed pale pink hair falls in my face. "I'm not the greatest dancer."

My dad pushes my hair behind my ear. "Don't worry. Your mom wasn't the best either even if she was a master artist." He smiles.

He starts to dance. I awkwardly try to follow along with him. Mostly with me almost falling and sliding the wrong way. I look over at Levi. She was smiling at my horrible moves. Terrence comes up behind her. He starts to whisper something in her ear, which she smiles and blushes, Terrence buries his face into the curve of her neck before pulling her out onto the dance floor.

They start to dance with us. Clem slides across the floor with Crystal being dragged with. The start to dance to their own beat. I rest my head against my dad's chest. I smile, for the first and long time. I smile a true smile.